Liquid measuring and dispensing apparatus



Oct. 15, 1929'. J, H wlLLgA'Ms 1,731,805

LIQUID MEASURING AND DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 22, 192,9

ATTORN EYS Patented Unt. l5, 1929 JAMES H. WILLIAMS, OF FORT WAYNE,INDIANA, ASSIGNOR T WAYNE CGMPANY, OF FORT WAYNE, INDIANA, ACOR'EGRA'IIN 0F INDIANA LIQUID MEASURING AND DISPENSING AIPPARATUSApplication led January 22, 19939.' Serial No. S34-,235.

My invention relates to liquid measuring and dispensing apparatus ot theso-called visible type, that is having a transparent elevated containerfrom which liquid is dispensed within the view el the customer. Suchapparatus is used extensively tor serving gasoline. More particularly myinvention relates to means for preventing the operator 'from beginningto serve a customer with liquid betore the container has been lilled tothe level required for maximum capacity serving.

Such apparatus has a lill tube through which the liquid is supplied tothe elevated container, an overliow tube terminating1 within thecontainer at thelevel lor maximum capacity serving and adapted to returnto the storage'tank all liquid in excess olf enough to lill thecontainer to that level, and a vertically adjustable serve tube whosetop may be positioned at any one oi various levels within the container,to serve the customer with the qantity of liquid that he desires.

Before any new serving is begun the dis charge tube should be raised toits highest position and the liquid supplied to the elevated containerthrough the lill tube until it stands at the maximum capacity level,that is at the top of the overl'low tube. The serve tube is then loweredsulliciently to deliver the quantity of liquid the customer is toreceive, and the customer relies upon it that the liquid which he hasseen flow` from the elevated container has been delivered into the tankof his car.

It is well known that some operators ol such apparatus cheat customersby lowering the serve tube While the liquid in the elevated container isagitated from the liow ol' liquid forced into it and belore it hasreached the maximum capacity level. Few customers would notice suchimproper manipulation ot the apparatus.

The principal object of my invention is to make it impossible l'or theoperator to begin to lower the serve tube until alter the elevatedcontainer has been lilled to the maximum capacity level.

In the particular embodiment olf my invention selected for illustrationFigure 1 is a vertical section through the top portion ol the housing`and tie elevated container ol a gasoline measuring and dispensingapparatus and the lill valve, with the parts in so-called ll position,that in position to begin forcing gasoline into the container inpreparation lor another serving.

llig. 2 is a similar but enlarged view el the various tubes andattendant parts only, the lill lilt casting being brolren away and platesectioned, the parts being in position they would be when the elevatedcontainer had been lilled to maximum capacity and the serve tubeslightly lowered, that is when serving has begun, and

Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line 33 ol Figure l.

ltelerring now to the drawings, 1 is the housing` forming the pedestalot the appa ratus, surniounted by the bottom head 2, upon which isseated a glass cylindrical elevated container 3 lor the gasoline to bedispensed, and a top head l rests on the top et the container 3, therods 5 securely clamping the container 3 against cork gaskets (i betweenthe heads 2 and Il.

Gasoline is lorced into container 3 by a pump or other suitable means(not shown) through lill pipe 7. rlllhe lill valve structure shown iscovered by Letters Patent No. 1,673,545, issued J une 12th, 1928, on theapplication of Linnaeus ll. Balt-er and llililliam l?. Brandt. Thepoppet valve ll is normally closed against its seat 9 by the weight otlill lilit casting 10 and its rod 11 through pivote i lever 12.

An open topped serve tube `18 has a collarl with a substantially squareshoulder underneath. lllhen the tube 13 is raised preparatory to lillingthe container 3 the top end of thistube is pressed `against theunderside ol the plate 15 of the lill lilt casting 10 shifting the partsfrom the positions shown in Fig. 2 into the positions shown in Fig. 1.The lill litt casting 1() has its upper portion formed as a forked criband its plate 15 perforated toallow gasoline to llow through it.

An overflow pipe 16 is lixed with its open top on a level with themaximum capacity level designated as O, so that` all gasoline forcedinto the container 3 in excess ol that wir quantity will iiow back tothe storage tank (not shown) iixed part of the structure as the ill pipe7.

A latch consisting of a bent lever 19 pivoted lto the bracket 17 at 2Chas its upper endV 21 normally pressed to the right inte the positionshown in Fig. 1 of the drawings by a light coiled spring 22 on the underside of the lower end 23.

Vhen the ill pipe 13 'is suiiiciently raised the collar 14 presses thisupper end 1 of the latch to the left as shown in the drawings, and whenthe collar has passed the latch its upper end 21 passes under the collar14 and sey long asthe latch remains in that position impinges upon theshoulder of the collar and prevents the operator from lowering the lilltube.

A float ball 24 has a stem 25 secured to a stud 26 which is looselyjournalled in the bracket 17 above the end 23 of the bent lever To theend of this stud 2G above the end 23 ofthe bent lever 19 is fixed a tripfinger 27 vso set that when the float ball 2li is lowered as shown inFig. 1 it is clear of the lever end 23, but when the iieat ball israised as shown in Fig. 2 the trip finger 27 bears upon the lever end 23depressing it and moving the lever end 21 to the left out of engagingposition with the shoulder of the cellar 14.

It will be readilv understood that when the serve tube 13 has been rised, preparatory to refilling the elevated container 3 to the positionshown in Fig. 1, the latch 21 prevents the serve tube from being lowereduntil eno-ugh gasoline has been supplied to the centainer to bring thelevel oi the gasoline therein above the top of the overow tube 1G atwhich time the float 24 will have been raised to the position shown inFig. 2, moving 'the latch from collar engaging position.

The container is new iilled with gasoline to the 0 level, so the`operator may now prope-rly lower the serve tube, and the customer isassured of receiving the quantity O15-gasoline that he observes flowingfrom the container.

Although a preferred form of the invention has been shown and describedit will be understood that a mechanic, working within the scope Vofwha-t is claimed, may make changes wit-hout departing `from 'the spiritof my invention.

I claim as my A'invention and desire te seycure by vLetters Patent ofthe United-States 1. 1n combination with a liquid measuringranddispensin-gapparatus havingan elevated container from which theliquid is dispensed, vaffixeil overflow etube-to vreturn -to storage allVliquid within vsaid container above the level dfmafximum capacity ierserving, a serve tube whose inlet =is vertically adjustable within saidcontainer, fla-tch ineens lpreventing the 7lowering off said serve tube`when #raised pre paratory to reiillingy the container until saidcontainer` has been iilled to said maximum capacity level, and means forreleasing said latch operable by the liquid in said container when saidliquid has reached said maximum capacity level.

2. In combination with a liquid measuring and dispensing apparatushaving an elevated container from which the liquid is dispensed, a iixedoveriow tube whose open upper end terminates at maximum capacity forserving within said container, a vertically adjustable serve tube whoseopen upper end is within said container, a latch engaging means on saidserve tube, a latch to engage said latch engaging means and prevent thelowering of said serve tube while so engaged when the serve tube israised preparatory te `refilling said container, a float and meansoperable by said float when the liquid in said container has reachedsaid maximum capa city level for moving said latch out of said engagingpesition.

3. ln combination with a liquid measuring and dispensing apparatushaving an elevated container from which the liquid is dispensed, a fixedoverliow tube to return to storage all liquid in said container abovethe level et maximum capacity for serving, a serve tube whose inlet isvertically adjustable within said container, a detent on said lill tube,a bracket secured to a fixed portion of the apparatus within thecontainer, a latch pivoted to said bracket and adapted to engage saiddetent and prevent the lowering of said lill tube when said iill tube israised preparatory te refilling the container, a iioat pivoted to saidbracket and means operable by said float when the liquid in saidcontainer has reached said maximum capacity level for moving said latchout of detent engaging position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JAMES H. WILLIAMS.

